skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Metal resistance sequences and transgenic plants

Abstract

The present invention provides nucleic acid sequences encoding a metal ion resistance protein, which are expressible in plant cells. The metal resistance protein provides for the enzymatic reduction of metal ions including but not limited to divalent Cu, divalent mercury, trivalent gold, divalent cadmium, lead ions and monovalent silver ions. Transgenic plants which express these coding sequences exhibit increased resistance to metal ions in the environment as compared with plants which have not been so genetically modified. Transgenic plants with improved resistance to organometals including alkylmercury compounds, among others, are provided by the further inclusion of plant-expressible organometal lyase coding sequences, as specifically exemplified by the plant-expressible merB coding sequence. Furthermore, these transgenic plants which have been genetically modified to express the metal resistance coding sequences of the present invention can participate in the bioremediation of metal contamination via the enzymatic reduction of metal ions. Transgenic plants resistant to organometals can further mediate remediation of organic metal compounds, for example, alkylmetal compounds including but not limited to methyl mercury, methyl lead compounds, methyl cadmium and methyl arsenic compounds, in the environment by causing the freeing of mercuric or other metal ions and the reduction of the ionic mercury or othermore » metal ions to the less toxic elemental mercury or other metals.« less

Inventors:
 [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Athens, GA
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
872584
Patent Number(s):
US 5965796
Application Number:
08/878,957
Assignee:
University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc. (Athens, GA)
Resource Type:
Patent
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
metal; resistance; sequences; transgenic; plants; provides; nucleic; acid; encoding; protein; expressible; plant; cells; enzymatic; reduction; including; limited; divalent; cu; mercury; trivalent; gold; cadmium; lead; monovalent; silver; express; coding; exhibit; increased; environment; compared; genetically; modified; improved; organometals; alkylmercury; compounds; provided; inclusion; plant-expressible; organometal; lyase; specifically; exemplified; merb; sequence; furthermore; participate; bioremediation; contamination; via; resistant; mediate; remediation; organic; example; alkylmetal; methyl; arsenic; causing; freeing; mercuric; ionic; toxic; elemental; metals; sequences encoding; compounds including; metal contamination; genetically modified; mercury compounds; coding sequences; metal compound; metal compounds; acid sequence; nucleic acid; acid sequences; transgenic plants; plant cell; plant cells; improved resistance; elemental mercury; metal resistance; specifically exemplified; arsenic compounds; coding sequence; exhibit increased; resistance protein; organic metal; metals including; transgenic plant; increased resistance; /800/435/999/

Citation Formats

Meagher, Richard Brian, Summers, Anne O, and Rugh, Clayton L. Metal resistance sequences and transgenic plants. United States: N. p., 1999. Web.
Meagher, Richard Brian, Summers, Anne O, & Rugh, Clayton L. Metal resistance sequences and transgenic plants. United States.
Meagher, Richard Brian, Summers, Anne O, and Rugh, Clayton L. 1999. "Metal resistance sequences and transgenic plants". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/872584.
@article{osti_872584,
title = {Metal resistance sequences and transgenic plants},
author = {Meagher, Richard Brian and Summers, Anne O and Rugh, Clayton L},
abstractNote = {The present invention provides nucleic acid sequences encoding a metal ion resistance protein, which are expressible in plant cells. The metal resistance protein provides for the enzymatic reduction of metal ions including but not limited to divalent Cu, divalent mercury, trivalent gold, divalent cadmium, lead ions and monovalent silver ions. Transgenic plants which express these coding sequences exhibit increased resistance to metal ions in the environment as compared with plants which have not been so genetically modified. Transgenic plants with improved resistance to organometals including alkylmercury compounds, among others, are provided by the further inclusion of plant-expressible organometal lyase coding sequences, as specifically exemplified by the plant-expressible merB coding sequence. Furthermore, these transgenic plants which have been genetically modified to express the metal resistance coding sequences of the present invention can participate in the bioremediation of metal contamination via the enzymatic reduction of metal ions. Transgenic plants resistant to organometals can further mediate remediation of organic metal compounds, for example, alkylmetal compounds including but not limited to methyl mercury, methyl lead compounds, methyl cadmium and methyl arsenic compounds, in the environment by causing the freeing of mercuric or other metal ions and the reduction of the ionic mercury or other metal ions to the less toxic elemental mercury or other metals.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/872584}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 1999},
month = {Tue Oct 12 00:00:00 EDT 1999}
}

Works referenced in this record:

Expression of bacterial mercuric ion reductase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
journal, January 1992


Phytochelatins, a class of heavy-metal-binding peptides from plants, are functionally analogous to metallothioneins
journal, January 1987


Organization, Expression, and Evolution of Genes for Mercury Resistance
journal, October 1986


Asymmetrical distribution of CpG in an ‘average’ mammalian gene
journal, January 1982


The distribution and divergence of DNA sequences related to the Tn21 and Tn501 mer operons
journal, September 1988


Mercury and Organomercurial Resistances Determined by Plasmids in Pseudomonas
journal, January 1977


Structural Analysis of Plant Genes
journal, June 1986


Characterization of translational initiation sites in E. coli
journal, January 1982


Codon usage in plant genes
journal, January 1989


Deoxyribonucleic acid sequence of a gene from the Pseudomonas transposon TN501 encoding mercuric reductase
journal, August 1983


Mercury biotransformations and their potential for remediation of mercury contamination
journal, January 1992


Compound surface modelling and machining
journal, April 1988


Phytochelatin Synthesis and Glutathione Levels in Response to Heavy Metals in Tomato Cells
journal, December 1987


Mercuric reductase structural genes from plasmid R100 and transposon Tn501: functional domains of the enzyme
journal, January 1985


Bacterial organomercurial lyase: overproduction, isolation, and characterization
journal, November 1986


Mammalian Metallothionein Functions in Plants
journal, October 1987


Mechanistic studies of a protonolytic organomercurial cleaving enzyme: bacterial organomercurial lyase
journal, November 1986


Mercuric reductase from R-plasmid NR1: characterization and mechanistic study
journal, February 1983


Pressurized Ventilation in the Yellow Waterlily
journal, October 1981